Another day, another word that the Sacramento Kings are interested in Brooklyn Nets forward Cameron Johnson. NBA Insider Brian Lewis noted in a recent news dump for the New York Post:
“”While the Kings, Magic and Lakers are interested, one recent report claimed the Spurs, Raptors or Warriors could be a ‘”dark horse.'””
And, while I have certainly considered this possibility in some of my postings on this page, one has to wonder if trading for Johnson is even worthwhile. A deal for Johnson would most likely involve Kevin Huerter plus a draft asset (my bet is a protected first round selection or a pair of seconds). But is Johnson truly such a significant advance over Huerter that he warrants the sacrifice of assets? What Fans Think As I always do with contentious issues like this, I asked the good people on Twitter (I refuse to call it “X”) for their thoughts on the subject. Fortunately, I was able to obtain a reliable sample size.
It appears that Kings Twitter thinks there is enough of a difference between the two to warrant making the trade, as about 84% of fans said they would rather have Johnson over Huerter.
What I Think
Personally, I’m not as convinced as the people voting on the Twitter poll seem to be about the matter. Yes, I think Johnson is a slightly bigger version (6’9 compared to Huerter, who is 6’7) of the same archetype (they are both movement shooters who leave a little bit on the table on defense). Johnson is also a little more expensive, but the extra size is usually worth the difference in their respective average annual values (see chart below).
My hesitancy stems from the fact that I’m not sure the difference between them is significant enough to justify giving up assets. Huerter is coming off a poor year, but great shooters have had a weak year or two throughout their storied careers as marksmen. If Huerter looks more like his 2022-23 self in 2024-25, Johnson may not be a significant boost above him. Besides, even if Johnson is superior, does replacing Huerter with him boost the Kings to legitimate contender status? Perhaps, but probably not. At the very least, Keegan Murray’s leap would suffice.
